University of North Texas Top Questions

High school senior Kadey; there is a lot that you need to know and need to prepare for come Fall 2011, stuff that your teachers and conselors aren't filling you in on now. While you may know how to write an essay in APA format and you may have the pythagorean theorem down pat, college is SO much more than that. One day you get dropped off in an unfamiliar place with faces you've never seen before and are expected to choose what you want to do for the rest of your life by declaring a major (one that you will most likely change -- and it's OKAY!). Just remain calm and keep the degree on the brain! It's FOUR years out of your entire life! STAY AWAY FROM ALCOHOL AND BOYS. Focus on being the best you can be and completing your educational journey. You will have plenty of time for all that funny business later in life. Also, go visit your family. You may be excited to leave now, but I promise you'll be even more excited to return for a weekend. As dad always says, "Stay Focused, Business First, Be a Lady Always".

I have always known I wanted to be apart of architecture and an interior design program. I knew this for years before graduating high school. If I could go back in time and mentor myself, I would suggest for myself to emerge into the field at a younger age. I would encourage myself to volunteer to get more experience under my resume for times like I'm at right now, being a college junior about to intern. I believe as you age, so does your outlook on life and your sense of creativity. I would encourage my younger self to better document my thoughts and my creations. I would encourage my younger self to emerge my time into the world and to learn, so that my future self would be more advanced. This is what I would go back and tell myself. This is what I will tell my children as they grow up in my home. Emerge yourself in your dreams and don't wait. I love what I do in college and what I am to do in the future to come in my career. I wish I started sooner.

Dear Danielle, There are two things I've learned in life so far that may do us a lot of good in the future. The first being, never to doubt what you already know. And second, stick to your beliefs with every fiber of your being. As you are about to graduate high school, everyone will expect you to draw up a roadmap. A definite blueprint, that details your life and future goals for the next 10 years. Don't try to please everyone by trying to perfect your plan. Plan your life out for yourself, and most importantly, do what you love to do. It really is as simple as that. Your constant overthinking and uncertainty about your future only stems from trying to please others, and not yourself first. And, P.S. Your growing attraction to females, is not a phase.

I would tell myself to learn how to utilitze better time management and study for school more. I would also stress the importance of saving money ahead of time and not spending it on stupid things.

I would tell myself that studying in high school is good, but studying in college is necessary.

Everyone tells you that "This is the greatest time of your life! You are going to have so much fun!" but what you don't realize is that this is only partially true. They should say "go and make your own fun" instead of claiming it is just going to happen. This is a time of self empowerment and self acceptance. In the next few years you are going to grow up, be scared, be stressed, but most of all be brave. This is your time to shine. Learn everything you can, be smart when making choices, laugh everyday, and don't forget to appreciate every single second. Never stop dreaming and trying to better yourself in ways you personally want to be better. Try your hardest and most importantly make your own fun. Do what makes you happy, not what other people tell you should make you happy. College is the time to be you, whoever you choose to be. Be smart. Be fearless. Be happy.

If I were to go back in time, the conversation would go something like this: Younger Me: Hey. Me: Hey YM: So...what's college like? Me: Pretty cool. A lot of work though. Seriously. YM: Oh. That sucks... Me: Yes but it will be worth it. Just don't go spending all your finicial aid money on crap and make sure that you plan your classes well. Look where the buildings are or else you'll be walking every opposite direction just to get to class. YM: Wow. Me: Also, try to get into groups but don't force yourself to like something. If it's too much, it's too much. Stock up on food and snacks for the weekened and last but not least, enjoy your time. YM: Ok. I'll do that. Thanks older me. Me: No problem...Hey. Hey. YM: What? Me: Bonds. YM and Me: BAIL BONDS! And that is how our conversation would go.

I would tell myself not to wait tool long to go to college. I had to go to war to afford college and after I came home I waited about four years before deciding to go back to school. I would tell myself to go back to school as soon as I got out of the military.

If I had one chance to go back and give myself some advice in high school, it would be simply to spend more time with my teachers and advisors to get more information on how to prepare. I would ask questions, such as “Are there classes to take to help me study?” or “What can I do to help keep myself more organized?”. I would tell myself to do more research in my major, such as the job market and salary ranges. I would tell myself to ask my sister more questions about her recent college experience. I would tell myself to take more college prep courses during my senior year and work towards better grades. I would strongly suggest to myself to use those ‘college days’ more wisely and investigate the colleges and what they offer. I am certain my parents would appreciate me asking myself to work more diligently at applying for scholarships and grants. Lastly, I would definitely tell myself to save more of the money I make with my part-time job.

Don't worry so much. Take one day at a time and breathe. For so much of my life I have stressed about things that I have no control over and that I cannot change. My entire freshman and sophomore years in college I was so worried about what other people thought of me and making good grades that I forgot to have fun. I forgot to enjoy my college experience which you only get to have once. If I could give myself any advice it would be to be a little less hard on myself. Focus on your grades and study hard but don't forget to enjoy yourself a little. Go on an adventure, stay up really late once or twice and go see a movie on a Tuesday night for no reason at all. Real life starts soon enough so focus on being young and a little irresponsible.

As a high school senior and throughout my first two years of college I had no idea who I was or what I wanted to be and I was desperately afraid I would never figure it out. The anxiety was so overwhelming that I often skipped class, abused drugs, and just flat out didn't try. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself that fearing failure only ensures that failure and to put the highest effort into every course. It is much more difficult to raise a low GPA than a create a high one from blank slate.

I was inclined to say that I would tell myself to buckle down and study harder during my first year, or to forego my dabbling in the arts and instead start a degree in merchandising immediately. However, I do not think that the values that I have now should have been on my mind then. Instead, I would tell myself to revel in my creative freedom during that year, to enjoy my friendships and to become fully immersed in the culture of Denton. I would tell myself to go ahead and live in the dorms, deal with the crazy roommate experiences and enjoy the stories that surface as a result. It is too easy to become inundated with the balance of work, school, internships, and other obligations as the college experience progresses. Students coming out of high school need that first year as a buffer, in which they can find themselves and establish their identities as members of the university and of the city around them. Essentially, I would tell myself to embrace my artsy, bright-eyed first year at UNT, and brace myself for the transition into more rigorous studies.

I would tell myself that it's not imperative to have everything figured out at this point in your life. College is a learning experience and a place to help you figure out what is the best path to take--it doesn't matter if you don't know what you want to do going in. I would tell myself that I'm my own worst critic and being that won't let me truly succeed. I would say that I should get out more and try to find the groups where I fit in on campus and to build any connections you can. Networking is essential for the future, but it's also incredibly important to find friends you can rely upon and relax with. And most of all, I would tell myself not to worry so much about the big picture, but just take things as they come and experience college life.

As high schoolers, many of us couldn't see past the plans for that weekend. I shrugged off responsibility as if it had nothing to do with me, rolled my eyes at my mom's lectures. Her catchphrase seemed to be "You shouldn't dream if you don't invest!" Oh, what did that workaholic know about dreams? I thought. It wasn't until I began my first semester of university that it slowly dawned on me that instead of spending weekends at the movies, I could have been studying hard enough to boost my GPA. I could have been investing. The time I wasted having fun could've meant better grades, and better grades equaled college money. However, at age 17, I only cared about an imaginary social status. If only I could time-travel to that girl and teach her some basic economics. At that age, I decided my future. I invested the exhaustible resource of time into something that didn't help me aspire to my dreams. As a result, "should haves" and "could haves" plague me in my adulthood. See, dreams don't come easy kid. You gotta spend your time wisely, just like mom said.

I went to college straight out of high school and then had to take a four year break before going back. I needed to learn who I was and what I wanted to do. I'd tell myself to never give up. The horror of life I had was a learning experience, and it does get better. I'd tell myself to learn to relax and breath. I'd tell myself to trust what I wanted and stop doing only what others wanted me to do. The passion that lays deep in my soul to the core of my exsistance is what I'm going to school for now is one I resisted in high school in order to please others. I'd tell myself to only please myself for a minute. I'd tell myself life is valuable and I am worth it. I'm a great person that will do amazing things. Last but not least, I'd tell myself that my time is now!

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to get involved in anything and everything I possibly could, it is a great way to make friends, as well as make career connections for the future. I would also tell myself to sit in the front row of all of my classes, and get to know my professors, especially in my bigger classes. College professors, unlike high school professors have hundreds of students, and do not have the time to learn the name of each student individually. But if your teacher knows who you are, you stand out from the rest of their students, which could make the difference from receiving an “A” or a “B” in their class.

The advice I would give myself would be to study hard becuase all you are able tyo learn in high school will prepare you for college. Academically speacking, many of the topics and things within topics that we learned in highschool were not full truths. However, those who dont have any basic knowledge at all have a harder time adjusting to the lesson learned/ taught in class. I would have focused harder one acutally learning the material.

Looking back I wish I was more focused on priorities and the inportance of my education. For a better qualty of live for my self and my family.

I would tell myself a few things. First, I would instruct myself to do better in my literature readings, for I am sure that there were wonderful pieces that I did not read as fully as I should have, and that is something that I cannot fix now. Second, I would instruct myself to ponder Duty, to ponder the ideas of things, and to remind myself of my weakness, the nature of my existence: a being in flux. With this knoweldge, I could have likely grown at a more expedient rate, learned certain lessons faster, been less arrogant, been less presumptuous, and been less of small-minded individual as Confucius would say. Third, I would instruct myself to interact more intensely with my teachers, for there were likely more wise than I, for I am certainly not wise, and the goal is to follow my nature and logos.

Growing up in a small town outside of Seattle, Washington, as a high school senior I was a big dreamer, as well as incredibly naive. With a graduating class of about 200, by the time I entered my senior year I felt in charge and untouchable in regards to my ability as a student and musician. While this attitude lent a certain confidence and motivation to my enrolling of UNT and leaving behind Washington, it also led me to a difficult year of depression, academic struggle, and a lack of motivation. If I could give myself advice, it would be to stay humble in the journey of learning and growing. That I should actively practice my musical craft, and make academic studying and dedication a number one priority. I let my confident attitude overshadow the reality of my ability as a student. Consequently, I was quickly shown how little I knew, and how hard other students worked in comparison to myself. I learned the hard way that being a humble and hardworking student often makes the difference between success and failure. Especially when dealing with the competetive nature of the UNT music program.